APES Environmental Policy

Homestead Act

A law passed in 1862 that granted 100 acres of public land to any adult citizen who could cultivate the land for five years, promoting westward expansion and agricultural development.

General Mining Law

A law enacted in 1872 allowing citizens to mine for minerals on public lands, facilitating the extraction of resources and encouraging settlement in the West.

National Park Service (NPS)

A federal agency established in 1916 to manage and protect US parks and monuments, preserving natural and cultural resources for future generations.

Federal Water Pollution Control Act

A significant environmental law enacted in 1948 aimed at regulating and controlling water pollution in the United States, ultimately leading to the establishment of the Clean Water Act.

Antarctic Treaty System (International)

An international agreement signed in 1959 that preserves Antarctica for peaceful research and bans military activity, ensuring environmental protection and scientific collaboration.

Clean Air Act

A comprehensive federal law enacted in 1970 aimed at controlling air pollution on a national level, setting emissions standards for industries and protecting public health.

Wilderness Act

Protects undeveloped federal lands from human disturbance, preserving millions of acres. (1964)

Clean Water Act

A federal law enacted in 1972 aimed at restoring and maintaining the integrity of the nation's waters by preventing point and nonpoint source pollution, and ensuring water quality standards.

Marine Mammal Protection Act

A federal law enacted in 1972 that prohibits the taking of marine mammals in U.S. waters and regulates their conservation to maintain healthy populations.

CITES (International)

An international agreement aimed at ensuring that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. (in 1973)

Endangered Species Act (ESA)

A federal law enacted in 1973 that seeks to protect and recover imperiled species and the ecosystems upon which they depend.

Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act

A federal law enacted in 1977 that regulates the environmental effects of coal mining in the United States, ensuring that mining activities are conducted in a way that minimizes damage to the environment and reclamation of mined land.

CERCLA (Superfund)

A federal law enacted in 1980 designed to clean up sites contaminated with hazardous substances and pollutants. It established a trust fund to provide for cleanup when responsible parties cannot be identified.

Montreal Protocol (International)

An international treaty signed in 1987 aimed at phasing out the production and consumption of substances that deplete the ozone layer.

Food Quality Protection Act

A federal law enacted in 1996 that ensures the safety of food by setting pesticide residue limits and requiring assessments of the health risks that pesticides pose to children.

Kyoto Protocol (International)

An international agreement established in 1997, committing its parties to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, based on the premise that global warming exists and human-made CO2 emissions have caused it.

Healthy Forests Restoration Act

In 2003, Reduces wildfire risk through forest management, with mixed views on logging impact.

Paris Climate Agreement

Made in 2015, Unites nearly all nations to limit global warming below 2°C through emission reduction pledges.